Analysis | Liam Lawson probably causes Red Bull some headaches

In Formula 2, DTM and Super Formula, Liam Lawson managed to win his very first race. Repeating that feat during his totally unexpected Grand Prix debut with AlphaTauri last weekend at Zandvoort would almost be impossible, and sadly, the New Zealand driver did not succeed. Nevertheless, Lawson left an excellent impression. His first appearance in Formula 1 will no doubt give Red Bull many headaches, as Lawson is set for a permanent seat at one of two teams in the near future.

Just face it: hearing at the end of Friday that you have to swap your regular spot in the Red Bull pit box for a place in the AlphaTauri because Daniel Ricciardo has broken his hand. The complicating factor is that you have never driven the car, which is not reputed to be particularly fast. In addition to this, you've never been in action on a Saturday during an F1 weekend, let alone having driven a Grand Prix and then suddenly you are in the full spotlight, the whole world is watching you. This then is the moment you have been working towards all these years.

Lawson's top performance

After a hectic race, Lawson finished the eventful Dutch Grand Prix in thirteenth place. Two places higher than teammate Yuki Tsunoda - who admittedly received a time penalty afterwards and was put back - but still. Tsunoda was the culprit in a collision with George Russell, so then you have to pay the price. For only the third time this season, the Japanese driver was beaten at a Grand Prix by his teammate, and it was also by a rookie.

Of course, Lawson had a slide during the third free practice and he too received a time penalty during the race. There were trifles and could hardly be blamed on the New Zealander given the tough conditions. Anyway, he did eventually keep his AlphaTauri on the soaking wet track, something experienced top driver Sergio Perez, for example, could not do. The result was an absolute top performance from Lawson.

Horner pleased with rookie

Christian Horner, Red Bull's team boss, was rightly full of praise for his reserve driver, who was suddenly thrown into the deep end. "The poor guy getting dropped in a car he's never driven, wet, dry, conditions, everything happening in front... I actually think he did pretty well. He actually overtook Max on Max's out lap as he changed onto the intermediate tyres at the end. To finish a race like that in itself with the lack of experience that he has, I thought, in very difficult circumstances, he applied himself very well," Horner told GPblog and others.

It is now clear that Lawson will also be in action for AlphaTauri at Monza (and while Ricciardo is recovering from his surgery). What happens after that? The Italian racing stable has already revealed that as soon as the Australian is fully fit, he will get his seat back. Next season too, Ricciardo would reportedly take a seat in the car of Red Bull's sister team. But why really? One swallow does not make a summer, obviously not, but surely Red Bull must also have seen that Lawson has the qualities to succeed in Formula 1? If there was any doubt about that beforehand, it must have been dispelled at Zandvoort.

Covertly sticking with current drivers

Liam Lawson is only 21 and has a fine career in F1 ahead of him, that has been clear since the Dutch GP. Unlike the 34-year-old veteran driver, he replaces for the foreseeable future. Let's face it: so far, Ricciardo has not made that crushing impression at AlphaTauri that might have been hoped for. So why unnecessarily hold on to a driver who, in the form he showed until his accident, would not be an added value as Max Verstappen's teammate? Certainly not when you consider that in the 2025 season - the time when there might be a place for him at Red Bull Racing - Ricciardo will be 36 years old.

That might just have to do with the position of Yuki Tsunoda within the Red Bull family. Although the Japanese driver is responsible for all three points AlphaTauri captured this season, it remains vague what Helmut Marko and Horner intend to do with him in the long term. Never once do they speak out loud that they see Tsunoda eventually as Perez's replacement, no matter how benign the Japanese has performed at times this season. That could well be a sign of things to come: Tsunoda does not seem to be part of Red Bull's long-term future.

With his performance at Zandvoort, Lawson has undoubtedly caused Red Bull's management some headaches. The dilemma now is: stick with Tsunoda and Ricciardo - as was almost certainly the original plan - or invest more emphatically in the next talent and give Liam Lawson a permanent place at AlphaTauri. If Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri stick to their own philosophy of training talent to progress to the main team in the foreseeable future, the choice should not be difficult.